belding



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. 0.BELDING. SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 474,283. Patented May 3, 1892.

2 Sheets-Shet 2 (No'ModeL) TI. 0. BELDING. SHEET METAL FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 474,283. Patented May 3, 1892.

NJU- [/2 129/1 tan l UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. BELDING, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CANTON STEEL ROOFING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SHEET-METAL-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,283, dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed March 3, 1892. Serial No. 423,604. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: described. To the top or upper ends of the l 3e it known that I, THoMAs O. BELDING, a end plates B is journaled the shaft O, which citizen of the United States, residing at Canshaft is located substantially as shown in ton, 1n the county'of Stark and State of Ohio, Figs. 1,2,3, and 4, and, as shown, its ends are 55 5 have invented certain new and useful Improvided with the eccentrics D, which ecprovements in Folding-Machines; and I do centrics are located just outside of the end hereby declare that the following is a full, plates B and are securely attached to the shaft clear, and exact description of the same, ref- O in any convenient and well known manner. erence being had to the annexed drawings, To the shaft O is securely attached the ec- 60 I makmg a part of this specification, and to centric-shaft-operating lever b, which lever the letters of reference marked thereon, in may be substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and wh1ch- 2. The lever 19 may be provided with the Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fold pivoted lever c, which pivoted lever is for the lug-machine, showing the gages removed. purpose hereinafter described. Below the 65 I 2 is a rear view of the machine. Fig. 3 shaft O is located the top clamping-bar E, is a transverse section through line x as of which clamping-bar is located at an angle to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side View of one of the ecthe bed-plate and is held in position by the centrics, showing location of one of the rollflanges cl, which flanges are preferably formed ers, also showing an edge view of the liftingintegral with the end plates B, and are so 70 2o spring. Fig. 5 is, a View showing a portion of located that they form grooves to receive the the second or final folding-gage and illustratends of the top clamping-bar E; but it will ing one of its guide-plates. Fig. 6 is an edge be understood that the flanges 61 may be view of the lever operating front folding-leaf formed separate from the end plates and atand front gage. Fig. 7 is a transverse section tached in any convenient and well-known 75 2 5 showing the location of the gages attached to manner. The top clamping-bar E is prothe front folding-leaf. Fig.8 is a view showvided at its ends with the extensions F, ing rod connecting the operating-lever with which extensions pass through elongated slots front gages. Fig. 9 is a side view of the first e, which elongated slots are formed in the gage, showing its stops. Fig. 10 is a side view end plates B. To the ends of the extensions 80 of the final gage. F are journaled the rollers G, which rollers The present invention has relation to sheetare located substantially as shown in Figs. 1, metal-folding machines; and it consists in the 2, 3, and 4..

differentpartsand combinationsof partshere- For the purpose of normally holding the inafter described, and particularly pointed rollers Gin contact with the eccentrics D, and 85 out in the claims. at the same time elevate the top clamping- Similar letters of reference indicate correbar E and hold it in an elevated position, the spending parts in all the figures of the drawsprings H are provided, the free ends of the ings. said springs abutting against the bottom or In the accompanying drawings, A refers to under edges of the extensions F, the opposite 9o the base or bed plate, which may be of any ends of said springs H being securely attached desired length, reference being had to the to the projections or lugs H, formed upon width of the sheets designed to be folded. the end plates B by means of the clamping- To the ends of the bed-plate A are securely bolts f or their equivalents. To the front and bolted the end plates B, which end plates are upper face of the top clam ping-barE maybe 95 provided with the inwardly-projecting flanges removably attached the sliding stop-bar I,

a, through which flanges the clamping-bolts which is located as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 a pass, said clamping-bolts being preferably and which will be hereinafter described. T0 of the kind known as cap-screws. the front edges of the end plates B is jour- The end plates B are so constructed as to naled the folding-leafJ by means of the boxes ICO provide suitable means of attaching the dif- K. The end of the folding-leaf J is provided ferent parts of the machine, as hereinafter with the lever-bracket K, which bracket is provided with a rearward extension K to which rearwardv extension is pivotally attached the f rout-gage operating-lever K said lever K also being for the purpose of operating the front folding-leaf J, as hereinafter described. The lever K is provided with the post or stud g, which post or stud is for the purpose of providing a means for pivot-ally attaching one end of the gage-connecting bar 72, the opposite end of said gage-connecting bar being pivotally attached to the bracket or arm h, which bracket or arm is securely attached to the front or first gage L. The front bending-gage is located between the folding-leaf J and the rear or final gage M, substantially as shown in Fig. 7. The front or first gage L is provided with the projections 70, which projections are located substantially as shown in Figs. '7 and 9, and are for the purpose of providing stops or gages for the'sheet metal designed to be folded at the first bend or fold of the sheet. The front or first gage L is provided with the pins Zr, which pins are for the purpose of engaging the longitudinal diagonal slots 79, located in the final gage'M. The final gage M, Fig. 10, is shown provided with the pins which pins are for the purpose of engaging the slots -7a in the gage-supports N, which gage-supports'are securely attached to the frontlower edge of the folding-leaf J.

The object of the machine proper is to form two folds or bends upon the edge or end of the sheet metal, which have different widths and dilferent angles to the sheet of metal, which folds are of ditferent widths.

In use the operating-lever K is pushed or forced outward or away from the bracket h, which movement draws the front gage upward by means of the pins 70 and the inclined slots k thereby elevating'the stops 7r, so as to bring them above the top edge of the foldingleaf J, after which the sheet metal designed to be folded is placed between the bed-plateA' and the top clamping-bar IE, it being understood that the top clamping-bar E is to be elevated by means of the springs H, the eccentric-shaft 0 being adjusted by the lover I) so as to bring the eccentrics D into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby freeing the top clampingbar Eand permitting the springs H to elevate said clamping-bar. The sheet metal designed to be'folded is passed through between the parts above described until the edge or end comes in contact with the stops 70, at which time the lever 19 is pulled forward until the eccentrics force the top clamping-bar E downward until the sheet is firmly clamped between the bed-plate A and said top clampingbar E, the sliding stop-bar I being located in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, which position brings or places the said sliding stopbar out of the way of the final gage in male ing the first bend, this position being its normal position, and is held in the position by means of the spring 0, which spring forces the sliding stop-bar I endwise until the pins 70 strike the bottom or lower ends, of the in: clined slots k. The folding-leaf J is turned upward and over by means of the lever K which lever is given an upward and backward movement; or, in other words, the free end of the lever K describes an arc of a circle in its movement as the folding-leaf J is brought into action,when the folding-leaf J is rotated upon its pivotal points by means of its lever K The top or upper edge of the folding-leaf J forces the metal upward and over until it is pressed tightly against the top or upper portion of the front edge of the top clampingbar. For the purpose of allowing the upper edge of the front folding-leaf J to'approach closely to the top of the front edge of the top clamping-bar E, and thereby carry the metal over onto the front edge of said top clamping-bar, the springs P are provided, which springs permit the gages to be forced backward,'or, in other words, provide a yielding movement to said gages, said springs P being so located and arranged that they will normally hold the gages in an elevated position,

after which the lever K is brought into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and forced toward the gages, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8, which movement forces the front gages downward by means of the pins It and the inclined slots k The eccentrics D are again brought into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 by means of the shaft 0 and the lever 1), thereby elevating the'top clamping-bar E and releasing the sheet of metal, at which time the sheet of metal is pushed forward against the final gage, as shown in Fig. 7. The top clamping-bar is again brought down upon the sheet of metal by means of the eccentric, and the sliding stop-bar I is forced downward by means of the lever c, the top or upper end of which lever is pressed toward the lever Z), thereby forcing the lower end of said lever c away from the leverb,which movement forces the sliding stop-bar I endwise and lowers the same into the position shown in Fig. 7. The folding-leaf J is again swung upon its pivotal points, which movement carries with it the first bend and also that portion of the sheet which comes directly above the top or upper edge of the folding-leaf or final gage M,striking against the stop I, thereby leaving the final fold at a different angle from the first fold. As the final gage M strikes the stopl, it is forced backward upon its springs P until the pins 70 strike the bottom of the slots 70 which stopping-pins provide no further movement of the final gage M, thereby leaving the final fold at a different angle from the first fold, as shown in Fig. 7. This final fold being made or finished, the folding-leaf J is again swung upon its pivotal points until it assumes the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, after which the sheet is released by the eccentrics, as above described. For the purpose of causing the top or upper edge of the.

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bar said folding-leaf J is so journaled that the center of the are described in its movements Will be its pivotal point, thereby holdin g the top or upper edge of the folding-leaf J at an equal distance from the front edge of the top clamping-bar E during the movement or travel of the folding-leaf J. The object and purpose of providing two' folds upon the edges or ends of the sheet metal is to provide What are commonly known as double crosslock seams. The stop-bar I is provided with the arm k which arm is located substantially as shown in Fig. 1; and, as shown, it is so arranged that the bottom or lower portions of the pivoted lever 0 Will act upon said arm, communicating motion to the stop-bar I.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sheet-metal-folding machine, the combination of the bed-plate provided with the end plates having journaled thereto the shaft 0, provided with the eccentrics D and the operating-lever b, the top clamping-bar E, located at an angle to the bed-plate and provided with the extensions F, having journaled to said extensions the rollers G, the springs H, and the folding-leaf J, pivoted or journaled to the bed-plate and carrying the movable gages L and M, substantially as and 0 for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the bed-plate A, the end plates 13, fixed to said bed-plates, the folding-leaf J, journaled to the end plates B, the gage L, provided with the stops 7c and the pins 70', the operating-lever K fixed to the folding-leaf J by means of the bracket K, the pin or stud g, the connecting-rod h, the diagonal slots 7.0 and the top clamping-bar E, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the bed-plate A, the end plates B, the lifting-springs H, the shaft 0, provided with the eccentrics D, the lever 17, the top clamping-bar E, provided with a suitable stop, the folding-leaf J, having attached thereto the front gage L and the final gage M, the operating-lever K the connecting-bar h, and the gage-supports N, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS C. BELDING.

Witnesses:

T. G. SNYDER, F. W. BOND. 

